Why is it on some nights the moon is full, some half, and some none at all?

Question

Ever wonder that?

Answer 1

The revolution of the Moon around the Earth makes the Moon appear as if it is changing shape in the sky. This is caused by the different angles from which we see the bright part of the Moon's surface. These are called "phases" of the Moon. Of course, the Moon doesn't generate any light itself; it just reflects the light of the Sun. The Moon passes through four major shapes during a cycle that repeats itself every 29.5 days. The phases always follow one another in the same order.
What you see when you look at the moon depends on its location in relationship to the sun and Earth. We see a different fraction of sunlight being reflected from the moon to Earth

Answer 2

Ah. The moon refects a varying degree of light from the sun during the night because the earth is sometimes blocking the light from the sun.

Example: You are reading a book and you have a single light in the room. If someone steps between you and the light then you cannot see or you loose your light and the other person can no longer see you. The light is the sun, the other person is the earth and you reading the book is the moon.

Let me explain: At night you cannot see the sun because it is on the other side of the earth. Now the moon does not give off it's own light. It reflects light from the sun (behind the earth) off of it's surface. The moon is not in the exact same place each night. So, it starts off full or without the earth in the way for a night and then the next night the earth is just a little in the way just of the moon's light from the sun (one thirtyth in the way). The earth continues to be a little more in the way of the moon's light from the sun until the 30th day when the moon's light from the sun is completely blocked by the earth and or the moon is on the other side of the earth (depending on where you are).

Answer 3

The moon has day and night like we do - the solar lights furniture up purely the 0.5 of it dealing with the solar, comparable as Earth. based on the time of the lunar month, the Earth is in a various place relative to the moon, so we see the sunlight hours area, or 0.5-and-0.5, or generally the darkish area. i've got self assurance that the moon continues to be rather a lot the comparable shape all night - it takes 28-astounding days for the moon to head around the earth cf. a million day for the earth to rotate, so it may be some a million% diverse from night until finally morning..

Answer 4

Sounds to me like you missed graduation. Grade school graduation. The moon changes shape because the moon changes postion between the Sun and Earth. The shapes we see are based upon the the surface that reflects the sun's rays and tthe surface that doesn't.

BTW, the Moon doesn't circle the Earth. The moon follows an S pattern in a circular motion around the Sun, between the Sun and the Earth.

Answer 5

Since the moon is a huge reflector, depending upon the postion to the earth and sun is what determines the size of the shadow. So, when you only see half of a moon or less, that is the part that cannot reflect the light of the sun down to earth.

Answer 6

It depends on the position of the moon and Earth relative to the sun. Hold up a ping pong ball... wait... are you serious about this question? It's too late for somebody that stupid to be up still. Republicans are early to bed, early to rise types.

Answer 7

Never wondered, It's a refelction dude.

Answer 8

Nope...there's a perfectly clear answer...umm...

Answer 9

http://www.astro.umd.edu/education/astro/moon/phases.html

If you really want to clear your doubt please go to the above link
There is full explanation with pictures.Bye...

Answer 10

yes,.. it is the lunar cycle.